Internal-combustion engine.



0. F. OPPERMAN.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1917.

1,292,634, Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

INVENTOR 0&0 P Upper/774a 83 M M ATTORNEY sr ram io.

OTTO F. OIPERMAN, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented J an. 28, 1919.

Application filed October 20, 1917. Serial No. 197,570.

- strength and general efliciency.

I attain these ends by employing individually removable cylinders of steel or other suitably hard metal in a casing formed of a metal or composition of metals such as aluminum or alloys thereof, having a greater conductivity for heat than afforded b the cylinder metal; said casing being cham ered to provide water jacketing spaces about the several cylinders, thereby enabling the wallsbeing made much thinner than would otherwise be practicable.

The invention further consists in the novel manner or means by which the cylinders are connected to the casing to compensate for diiferences in the expansibility of the metals from which the englne cylinders and easing are formed.

The invention further consists in various other novel features in the construction, adaptation and combination of the engine parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an engine embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken through 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, the numeral 5 designates the power cylinders of steel rigidly secured upon a base or crank casing 6, as by means of bolts 7, and extending up into chambers provided in a casing 8 of aluminum or the like, which is surmounted by a cap 9. The upper end of each of said cylinders fits against a'shoulder, such as 10. formed on the underside of a partition 11 provided in said casing, and is ri 'dly secured thereto by screw-threaded tu ular couplings 12 having peripheral flanges 13 adapted to seat in annular recesses 1 4: of said partition and ,.engaging screw-threads 15 formed in sockets therefor in the respective cylinder end 16; There are two of such couplings employed for each of the cylinders, and arranged to have their axes in a plane extending diametrically through the latter and transversely of the engine.

Within cylinder and concentric to the axes of the respective recesses 14:, a cylinder end 16 is machined to afford seats 17 and 18 for inlet and exhaust puppet valves 17 and 18 Provided above the cylinders in the casing are manifold chambers 19 and 20 which communicate with each cylinder through ports provided by said tubular couplings. The chamber 19 is provided with an inlet 19 whereby connection is had by means of a pipe, not shown, with a carburetor for supplying an explosive mixture to the en 'ne. The other chamber 20 is provided wit an exhaust opening 20 for the discharge of spent gases from the engine.

The lower portion 8 of said casing is chambered to provide water space 21 surrounding each cylinder and having openings, as 22, through which the several cylinders are inserted.

Interiorly of the mouth of an opening 22 I provide grooves 23 for the reception of gaskets 24 engaging ;.-against a peripheral.

ridge 5 provided on .-,the associated cylinder to furnish a water-tight joint thereat.

25 and 25 represent spacing lugs p r0 truding inwardly from the casing in proxlmity to the underside of the respective partition 11 for the purpose of retaining the cylinders in positions to be secured by the aforesaid couplings to the casing. The lugs 25, as shown in Fig. 3, are made hollow to receive bushings 26 which are externally screw-threaded to en age screw-threaded apertures 27 provide "in the peripheral wall of a cylinder, said bushings being internally threaded for engagement by the threaded ends of sparking plugs 28 of any usual or suitable type. The cylinders are desirably provided with external ribs 29 extending into said Water space 21 to increase the surface exposed to the cooling water. The water space within the casing communicates by means of pipes connecte to openings 30 and 31 located adjacent to the lower end of casing part 8 and to the space 21 in the head portion of the casing above the cylinders.

The stems 17 and- 18" of said valves extend into a chamber 32 above water space 21 through guide tubes 33, Said I valve stems have secured thereto collars 34 to receive the ends of helical springs tending to yieldingly hold the respective valves against their seats.

36 and 37 represent levers fulcrumed at 36 and 37 and actuated by means of cams, such as 38, provided on a cam shaft 39 to effect the opening of the valves in opposition to said springs.

The advantages of this invention reside principally in the peculiar manner of employing individually \removable cylinders extending into the water jacket casing of cast aluminum alloy, and the manner of securing the same together. By such devices the cylinder walls may be conveniently made thinner than hitherto, and admit of the heat generated within the cylinder being more quickly removed therefrom being either carried away by the cooling water or radiated therefrom through the casing wall.

By such heat reduction, greater piston speed may be had, and the life of the cylinders materially increased. The cylinders may, moreover, 'be formed of high carbon steel in place of gray iron, as now most commonly used.

Unlike other aluminum and cased engine cylinders known to me, the cooling water in .the jacket or casing of the present invention is in direct contact with the cylinders.

According to this invention, the valve seats are provided on the relatively hard cylinder heads, thereby obviating the necessity of frequent grinding which is necessary in other engines to prevent leakage. The

contraction of the different characters of metals employed in the casing and cylinders.

What I claim, is

In apparatus of the class described, the i combination with the engine cylinders, having inlet and exhaust ports in their upper ends, of a casing for the upper portions of said cylinders, said casing being chambered to provide a water space above and surrounding each of the cylinders, means to provide a Water-tight joint between the lower end of the casin and each of the cylinders, tubular couplings extending into said ports for detachably securing the respective cylinders to the casing, gas inlet and exhaust passages extending through the water space above the cylinders and communicatlvely connected through said couplings and ports with the interiors of the cylinders, valves arranged to seat against the cylinder ends to close said ports, and means for operating the Valves.

Signed at Seattle Washington, this 10th day of October, 191

OTTO F. OPPERMAN.

Witnesses P ERRE BARNES, E. PETERSON. 

